Poor or no audio from the set-top box connected to your Xbox One

Overview

You may experience poor audio performance when you watch live TV with your Xbox One. This can include not being able to hear audio from your set-top box, stuttered audio, or corrupted sound. This can be caused by several things, including:

Incorrect settings on the Xbox One

Problems with your HDMI or optical cables

Problems with how your set-top box is connected

Settings on your set-top box

Solutions

Solution 1: Check the audio settings on your Xbox One

Using the correct audio settings for your home theater on the Xbox One ensures you have the best audio performance possible.

Press the Xbox button to open the guide.

Note Pressing the Xbox button will open the guide from any other screen on the console.

Select Settings.

Select All Settings.

Select Display & sound.

Select Audio output.

Select either HDMI audio or Optical audio, based on how your device is connected.

Select the correct audio format for your home theater, either 5.1 uncompressed or 7.1 uncompressed. If you're not sure, select Stereo uncompressed.

Solution 2: Check your cables

Audio signal may not be reaching your Xbox One correctly if the cable is damaged or not properly connected to your devices.

Double-check your HDMI and/or optical audio cables to be sure that they are securely connected and free of breaks, kinks, or damage.

Try replacing the cables. Some cables are better than others, and a low-quality cable can impact your video.

Solution 3: Check how your devices are connected

A good rule of thumb with home theaters is to keep things as simple as you can. In this case, that means using HDMI to plug your set-top box directly to your Xbox One, and your Xbox One directly to your TV.

You also want to remove any superfluous devices. HDMI or optical switches, audio-video receivers, converter boxes, and other devices can cause the signal to degrade with each additional pass-through. You can also try removing devices one at a time to see if one in particular is causing the performance problem.

As a rule, you want to mirror one of the below setups as best you can:

Simple TV setup

Simple TV setup with optical cable

Receiver setup with HDMI

Receiver setup without HDMI

Solution 4: Check your set-top box

Your set-top box may need to be reset to clear out incorrect configuration data. Disconnect any cables—including power—from the device for 30 seconds or more, and then plug them back in.

If you use an over-the-air (OTA) set-top box, check to ensure your HD antenna is connected and working properly. The Xbox One can only display what the set-top box sends it, so poor audio reception from the antenna will come through on your console.

Some set-top boxes have other settings that may impact audio output. How to check them varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but in general you want to be sure your box is outputting digital audio, is set to the correct surround-sound option for your equipment, and is not in any other way restricted.